Transmission



T. B. TYLER TRANsMlssioN May 25? i937.

Filed June `1952 ATTORNEYS sassari any as, rear Application. .inne 8, i932, Serial No. Blde?,

ifi

This invention relates to transmissions. An object of the present invention is to provide a transmission more or less like that disclosed in the drawing of my copendingapplicatlon,

Serial No. 615,631, nled June 6, 1932, but differing therefrom in that fluid pressure clutches are used in lieu or the friction clutches there dis closed.

In the illustrated embodiment oi the invention the fluid pressure clutches are like those dis- 'closed in figures oi ray ccpending application, Serial No. 614,745, filed .lune 1,1932, though it will of course be understood that other fluid clutches might be used in the transmission here disclosed, with attendant henets or disadvantages, as the case may he.

Other objects will become apparent upon reier= ence 'to the following detailed description and to the appended drawing in which Fig. i shows an emhodirnent of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a detail of the ernhodiment or Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in a plane to illustrate the face ci the cam 'faced 'rive memcer,

Fig. is a fragmental View illustrating a detail.

' Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the transmission includes a driving shaft -and a driven shaft 326, the latter being connected through a coupling 322 to a propeller shaft. The shaft 32@ is cupped as at 32d to receive and journal the end of the shaft 232i and is further provided with a gear 325 meshing with a gear 32d of a sleeve B2i, the latter further having gears 323, 333 and 33@ and being journaled on a stationary longitudinal countershait 33t supported in the opposed walls 333 of the transmission casing. The gears 323, 329, 33o are in constant mesh with gears 3io, 34H, 3&2, respectively, running free on sleeves 363 lxed on the shaft 32| and retained against axial movement thereon, together with the gears 358, 3M, 3632, by spacer sleeves, abutments on 4&5 the parts, etc., and a nut like plate 3M threaded on to the end of shaft 32l, all of the parts being thus held against axial movement on the shaft 32l during the operation of the device.

It will be observed at this time that the gears 50 328-360 which form the reverse drive, are meshed not directly but through an idler gear not shown.

Between each set oi gears 32E-3io and Sil-342 is a casing 350 xed by pins 35M to rotors 35! splined to the spline shaft 32i. These rotors have circumferentially spaced, on their peripheral walls, a plurality oi slots staggered so that they open alternately towards the opposite gears between which the casing and rotor is disposed, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2. s

In the right hand set of slots are sliding vanes 352 provided with compression springs tending to urge these vanes out of the slots and into the space between the rotor 35i and a plate splined to the gear 325. This plate has carnlo ming surfaces 356i also projecting into the space to form seals with the vanes and are also adapted to cause the vanes to retract into their slots, in a manner that will he described later.

In the left hand set of slots are vanos l5 adapted to be projected into the notches cut into the hub of gear Silo, in the manner of a positive tooth clutch.

A second casing is disposed between gears fidi-3132 and this casing, as distinguished from 2G the above mentioned casing has two sets of fluid intercepting varies etc., rather 'than out one set of sliding varies Surrounding each casing is a grooved ring in whose groove @si is secured the yolred ends 25 362 of a fork 363, these forks being secured indi vidually to the parallel adjacent shifter rails' 3Go-366m mounted to be slidable in the transmission caslng as indicated. On adjacent faces of these rails are notches 363 into either of which may be thrust the ball end 369 of a pivotally mounted shift lever 3io. Each grooved ring 360 is provided with longitudinally spaced annular internal grooves or reliefs' tl'll adapted to accommodate the annular rows of balls Si disposed in annular rows of peripherally drilled holes of the casing o. t will be understood that, in the form shown, there is one row of balls for each set of sliding vanes 352, with one G ball for each vane.

Disposed on shaft 32B is a low pressure pump 380 similar to the pump disclosed in application Serial No. 614,745, filed June l, 1932, and having an exhaust port Sti in casing 380 communicat- 45.

ing with shaft port 38m through which fluid may be discharged at a low pressure into the axial conduit 382 of the spline shaft 32l, there y being a double ball-end tting 383 for effecting a substantially sealed communication between the port 38M, and the conduit 382, regardless of the alignment of shafts 32o-32|. The conduit 382 has radial ports 384 opening into the spaces between the rotors and the gears 325, 34| and 342, which, in effect, form end plates 55 for the casings 350, and these spaces have exhaust ports 385, as indicated.

The operation of the device will readily be seen from the foregoing. When shifter rail 366 is moved to the right by the lever 310, or when shifter rail 366:1, is moved to the left or right, by lever 310, from neutral position, the fork carried by the moved rail will move to the left or right., as the case may be, and will move the grooved ring 360,so that one of its reliefs 31|, will accommodate one of the rows of balls on one set of vanes in one rotor so as to relieve these vanes and permit the coiled springs 353 tol project these vanes into the fluid filled space between the rotor and the adjacent gear to establish a driving connection from aA gear through a casing 350, the fluid .in the casing, the projected vanes, and the rotor. At this time, one set of ports 385 will be closed by the ring 360 and theV spaces will be lled with fluid. Since the rotor is splined to the shaft 32| the latter' will be driven by the gear which happens to be selected, that is, the one adjacent to such vanes as may be projected. i

In one case, Where the right hand set of vanes on the right hand rotor is projected, as indicated, the drive is throughA the plate 381, which is'splined to shaft 320, and is disposed between a. shaft enlargement 3,88 and a rotor, and in effectl acts like one of the gears. This plate prevents fluid pressure from acting to separate shafts 320 and 32|, axially. K

In order to prevent too great a pressure being. built up 'in the ends of spaces between the rotors and the gears 325, 34|, 342, the camming surfaces of the latter are provided with reliefs 39| which by-pass the ends of the vanes.

Reverse movement of the shifter lever will` cause grooved ring 360 to uncover the closed ports 385 and relieve the fluid pressure in the closed space, whereupon the gear (or the plate 381) will move relatively to the rotor and vanes so that its camming surfaces whichy form the driving seal 354 will retract the projected vanes,y then held in retracted position by the balls thereon, projected inwardly by the grooved ring which has moved so that its reliefs are no longer in line with the balls. It will be observed that the vanes are slotted; at 390, so as to form a spring tongue with a recess in the end to snap over and while rotor 35| is rotating.

It will be observed that eircept for the specific form of the clutches, the transmission-here disclosed is more or less like that of application Serial No. 615,631, and consequently possesses many of the advantages inherent to thatr transmission.

Itwill also be observed that the use of clutches like those of applicationin Serial No. 614,745 causes the transmission disclosed to possess many advantages over other transmissions, such advantages not being here listed.

Now having described the invention and a preferred embodiment of the same, reference vWill be 'I'hese are had to the following claims which define the scope 'and control means forexhausting said fluid from' said casing. y

2. 'I'he combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member having a plurality of vanes, means for projecting said vanes into contact with said cam faced drive member, means for enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for pumping fluid into said enclosing means, and control means for exhausting said duid from said enclosing means.

3. The combination with a rotor, of a cam faced drive member co-axial with and rotatable freely relative to said rotor, vanes mounted in said rotor, means for projecting said vanes into contact with said cam faced drive member, a casing surrounding said rotor and a portion of said drive member, means for introducing fluid into said casing, means for holding said vanes in a retracted position, and means operable simul-y taneously with said last named means for exhausting the fluid from said casing.

4. The combination with a rotor,v of a cam facedl drive member co-axialwith and rotatable freely relative to said rotor, vanes mounted in said rotor, means for projecting saidvanes into contact with said cam faced drive member, a casing surrounding said rotor and a' portion of said drive member, means for pumping liquid into said casing, means for holding said vanes in a retracted position, means vfor exhausting fluid from said casing, and means for simultaneously actuating said vane holding means and said fluid exhausting means.

5. The combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member having a plurality of vanes, means for projecting said'vanes into contact with said cam faced drive member, means for enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for supplying uid to said enclosing means, manually operable means for holding said vanes in a retracted position, and means controlled by said manually operable means for discharging fluid from said enclosing means. r 6. The combination with a rotor, of a cam faced drive member, slots in said rotor, vanes in said slots, resilient means urging said vanes into contactwith saidcam surface, a casing enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for supplying duid into said casing, and control means for exhausting said fluid from said casing.

7. The combinationv with a rotor, of a cam faced drive member, slots in said rotor, vanes 'in saidslots, resilient means urging said vanes into contact with said cam surface, a casing enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for supplying iiuid 'to said casing, means carried by said casing and adapted to engage said vanes to hold the same in a retracted position, and consaid fluid from said said vanesand cam faced drive member, means vanes into contact with said cam faced drivev member, a casing enclosing said vanes and camv faced drive member, means for supplying duid within said casing adjacent said vanes and cam faces, means in said casing for holding said vanes in a retracted position, and controlled parts in said casing for exhausting said uid therefrom.

10. The combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member carrying a plurality of movable vanes, means normally urging said vanes into contact with said cam faced drive member, a casing enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for supplying fluid within said casing adjacent said vanes and cam faces, means in said casing for holding said vanes in a. retracted position, manual means for releasing said means in said casing and means for exhausting said uid from said casing.

11. The combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member carrying a plurality of movable vanes, means normally urging said vanes into contact with said cam faced drive member, a casing enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for supplying duid within said casing adjacent said vanes and cam faces, means in said casing for holding said vanes in a retracted position, slidablemeans on said casing for engaging said means in said casing whereby the latter are adapted to be released by sliding movement o! said slidable means, manual means for sliding said slidable means, and ports 40 for exhausting said uid from said casing, said ports being adapted to be closed and opened by movement of said slidable means.

I 12. The combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member, vanes carried by said driven member, a casing surrounding said vanes and cam faced drive member, means for supplying fluid within said casing, means for projecting said vanes into contact with said .cam faced drive member, and manually controlled means for exhausting said iluid from said casing.

13. The combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member, vanes carried by said drive member, iiexible portions on said vanes, a casing enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means normally urging said vanes to an extended position where they contact with said cam faced drive member, means carried by said casing and adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with said vanes to hold the same in a retracted position or to release said vanes, means for supplying fluid within said casing, and control means for exhausting said fluid from said casing.

14. The combination with a cam faced drive member, of a driven member, vanes carried by said driven member, exible portions on said vanes, a casing enclosing said vanes and cam faced drive member, means normally urging said vanes to an extended position where they contact with said cam faced drive member, means carried by said casing and adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with said vanes to hold the same in a retracted position or to release said vanes, means for supplying fluid within said casing, manual means for actuating said vane holding means,` and control means actuated by said manual means for exhausting duid from said casing.

TRACY BROOKS TYLER. 

